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The Happiness Challenge Recap! Kiss Your Life!

The Happiness Challenge Recap! Kiss Your Life!

Recently I completed the Happiness Challenge: “Can You Be Happy For 100 Days In A Row?” I think most of us know what it takes to be happy in our lives–heavens knows there’s plenty written on the subject of happiness; we just need to remember and make it a conscious daily decision to be happy!

Like most mother’s, mine wisely advised me that:

“Happiness is a choice!”

I think any worthwhile undertaking like the happiness challenge, if taken to heart, can’t help but deepen the meaning of our everyday lives…it’s then that we are indeed reminded of the fact that there really is so much for us to be happy about!

Here’s a brief recap of a few of the other things that my happiness journey has helped me remember better…

Happiness is staying true to ourselves!

We all tend to pride ourselves on our personal uniqueness; but sometimes we need to do a better job at extending this individuality to our own brand of happiness instead of letting others determine what it should be. I am a lot more creative when I take charge of seeing to my own happiness!

One of my favorite quotes on happiness sums this up perfectly:

Happiness is being realistic!

Believe me, I love a good party, I love going on vacation and going out to lunch with friends. Spending a fun afternoon shopping with my daughters, daughter-in-law and granddaughters is pure, blissful happiness! However, if we’re being realistic, for most of us, our days are filled with family schedules, jobs, house upkeep…and the list goes on and on. I’m so grateful that my dad showed me early in life that a light-hearted “Carpe Diem” is a better way to discover real happiness when going about those things that we may consider mundane and ordinary.

“I have noticed that some people seem to always be looking for some spectacular job or opportunity, a lucky number or what not–which will bring them great wealth or an exciting adventure; then they can relax on easy street for the rest of their lives–only concerned each day with what they can do that will be exciting and fun! This attitude has had little appeal for me. It seems so much of life’s pleasures come from caring for small mundane tasks. Unless a person can learn to enjoy these, much of what life has to offer is lost!” from the history of Leroy I. Jorgensen

Every day can’t be like the 4th of July…but we can certainly make each day happier by seeing how special each one of them really is in their own right!

(Boston’s 4th of July fireworks taken this year by my daughter, Mandi.)

A moment of unhappiness doesn’t need to ruin our whole day!

Just like how having a cookie or two doesn’t need to lead to unhealthy eating for the rest of the day, similarly a bout of unhappiness doesn’t mean the whole day needs to be a pity party! (I’ve been guilty of this!)

Sometimes we just need to take a good look around us and find something to be happy about–then, like one of my favorite Mary Englebright card’s says…we can “Snap out of it!”

It’s probably no mere coincidence that the songs “Let It Go” from the movie Frozen and “Happy” from Despicable Me 2 are two of the most popular songs being played now…

…more often than not, if we let go of some of the things that make us feel unhappy–especially the ones we can’t control, we’ll experience a truer sense of happiness! It’s easier said than done, but by taking on this challenge, I really did find myself focusing more on all the wonderful things in my life that make me happy!

It’s also good to remember that others deserve to be happy, so if we’re not “feelin’ it” we shouldn’t bring them down with our grumpiness!

If all else fails, we can do what my granddaughter, Marli, does that seems to add to her perpetual state of happiness and belt out our favorite song to the top of our lungs!

Happiness breeds happiness!

We all have those “go to” people who have that special knack for lightening the mood and putting a smile on our faces–and hearts.

I try hard to take notice and stay in tune with others so that I can be that person for someone else.

Sometimes it helps to just be silly together too!

In wrapping up my 100 Day Happiness Challenge, this quote pretty much says it all…I really do have so much to be happy about and grateful for in my life!

What I’m learning now is…

My happiness did not start nor will it end with this challenge, but I’m learning to be much more aware of the things that make me happy. It sounds cliché, but the happiness of those I love makes me the happiest!

How do you stay upbeat and happy in your life? What do you do to keep a positive outlook when life throws you a sucker punch?

–Mary

America! Where The Stars And Stripes And The Eagle Fly!

America! Where The Stars And Stripes And The Eagle Fly!

My husband has an old school country music mix that he plays full blast when he’s working out. One particular song, “Where The Stars And Stripes And the Eagle Fly” by Aaron Tippin, is usually amped way up to an even more deafening volume–most nights I’ll yell into him to turn the music down, but with the 4th of July just a few days away, I guess I was feeling the patriotic spirit of the season, so the other evening I took the time to really listen to the words of this song as I stood outside our exercise room–and it didn’t take long for tears to fill my eyes…

You can listen to the song here, if you’d like, while scrolling through post:

Where The Stars and Stripes And The Eagle Fly by: Aaron Tippin

“Well, if you ask me where I came from, here’s what I tell everyone, I was born by God’s dear grace, in an extraordinary place–where the Stars and Stripes and the eagle fly!”

“It’s a big ol’ land with countless dreams, happiness ain’t out of reach…”

“…hard work pays off the way it should.”

“Yeah, I’ve seen enough to know that we’ve got it good…”

“…where the Stars and Stripes and the eagle fly!”

“…and there’s a bell that still echoes the price that it cost to be free!”

“I pledge allegiance to this flag, and if that bothers you, well, that’s too bad.”

“But if you’ve got pride and you’re proud you do–hey, we could use some more like me and you!

“Where the Stars and Stripes and the eagle fly!”

“Yes, there’s a lady that stands in a harbor for what we believe, and there’s a bell that still echoes the price that it cost to be free.

American spirit! www.mytributejournal.com

“No, it aint the only place on earth, but it’s the only place that I prefer…”

“…to love my wife and raise my kids, hey, the same way that my daddy did!”

“Where the Stars and Stripes…”

“… and the eagle fly!”

“Where the Stars and Stripes and the eagle fly!”

As we celebrate America’s birthday this week, let’s have a little patriotic love fest-what makes you America proud?

Happy 4th of July to everyone!

–Mary

Garden Therapy! Unconventional Yard Tools!

Garden Therapy! Unconventional Yard Tools!

Summer is well underway and the weather is definitely heating up! If you’re like me, I find the best time to do a quick hour or so of gardening is first thing in the morning or later in the early evening. For today’s edition of Garden Therapy, I thought I’d share a few of the unconventional yards tools I use that I find come in handy and help me with the upkeep of my pots and flowerbeds this time of year…after all, aside from my summer bucket list that I’m working on, I have other very important things to do besides yard work… like shopping with my daughter and playing with my granddaughters!

A Serving Spoon!

When my husband and I got married, we received several extra sets of our serving utensils for wedding gifts. While I did exchange a few of them, I ended up keeping more than I’ve ever needed through the years, so I pushed the limits of my ingenuity (?) a little, and found out that instead of using a typical hand shovel for planting some of my flowers, one of my serving spoons, with its oval shape and pointed tip, is the perfect yard tool to use on small flower bunches in my pots or for working around more compact spaces in my flowerbeds.

Band-Aid Scissors!

This wonderful discovery to easier garden maintenance came by sheer happenstance one afternoon as I pulled into my driveway when I arrived home from work at the hospital. I noticed that a few flowers and some ivy in a couple of my front porch flowerpots needed to be dead-headed and trimmed up a bit. Rather than take the time to walk all the way back to the tool shed to get my garden clippers, I just pulled out the Band-Aid scissors I had in the pocket of my nursing uniform and “Walla” (think singing angels here) the size and shape of these scissors made it less awkward to maneuver around tightly arranged plants in my flowerpots…in the past I’ve accidentally cut off a good blossom while trying to trim a dead one–ugh!

A good pair of Band-Aid scissors can be purchased at most any drug store–I just keep an extra pair in my laundry room now, then they’re handy to grab when I need to trim up a few flowers or stray vines. You can also sharpen these scissors with a regular knife sharpener too.

A Janitor’s Hand Broom!

The older I get, the more I’ve come to appreciate the addition of this unconventional yard tool to my gardening supplies. When I’m working in my flowerbeds spreading soil pep or pulling a few weeds, it’s nice to be able to just sweep any dirt off the curbing or sidewalk as I go without having to always get up and down to sweep with a big broom. This janitor’s hand broom is also perfect for sweeping up large leaves or other debri that get in your gardens.

A Gallon Milk Jug!

I guess you wouldn’t necessarily categorize a gallon milk jug as being a yard tool, and it’s probably not likely that one will make it on a Pinterest garden board, but I’ve found it’s sure handy to have one around when it comes to watering some of the plants in my yard.

Most plant foods come with directions for 1 tablespoon to be added to a gallon of water, so a gallon milk jug makes mixing fertilizer more convenient, and the smaller, round bottle opening, along with the handle combine to make it easier to pour the ferlitilizer solution directly around the base of the plants. (FYI, I tend to prefer Ferti-lome blooming plant food because the granules are very fine and dissolve quickly when added to water. My plants seem to thrive with this fertilizer during our hot, dry summer climate in Utah.)

An empty liter bottle works great too–that way you can enjoy your favorite drink while you’re working then water your plants after!

If you’re a homeowner, for the most part, doing some yard work is simply a fact of life, so over the years I’ve tried to embrace this motto in my life…

…while still making plenty of time to “hang out” with some of my favorite people!

Any quirky things you use to make yard work easier?

We’ve all heard the saying, “Love began in a garden!” I hope some of these unconventional yard tools help make your gardening easier this summer and help you love doing your yard work a little more.

–Mary

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